REVIEW: ‘How to Blow Up a Pipeline’ is bold, powerful filmmaking

The brink has been reached for the characters in this drama, and it forces them to go past the point of no return.

It’s no surprise, as they feel the same has happened with climate change.

The film, inspired by the book featuring the same title, follows a group of young people who, seeing all other forms of protest ineffective, decide to sabotage a section of an oil pipeline in Texas. The plan originally formulates between college students Xochitl (Ariela Barer) and Shawn (Marcus Scribner).

They join forces with activists Rowan (Kristine Froseth), Logan (Lukas Gage), Theo (Sasha Lane), Alisha (Jayme Lawson) and Michael (Forrest Goodluck). Additionally, they partner with Dwayne (Jake Weary), a Texan who was forced to relocate when his property was bought out for a pipeline’s construction.

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REVIEW: Adrenaline filled ‘Ambulance’ entertains despite speed bumps

Michael Bay tears up Los Angeles in his new action blockbuster, although the stakes are a bit lower compared to his other entries from the last decade.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II stars as Will Sharp in “Ambulance,” a veteran and young father struggling to provide for his family, especially with medical bills mounting. In his desperation, he turns to his adoptive brother Danny (Jake Gyllenhaal), who runs an auto shop.

It turns out, that isn’t Danny’s only business, though, as the brother is also into heists and has been planning a bank robbery. Will is eventually roped in to the situation, but the robbery turns south fast. Needing to escape, the brothers carjack an ambulance with a wounded officer and an EMT (Eiza Gonzalez) inside.

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REVIEW: ‘Da 5 Bloods’ falters due to storytelling

Maybe Spike Lee should have used a five-part mini-series to tell the story of “Da 5 Bloods.”

This film, released recently on Netflix, is about four veterans who return to Vietnam decades after they fought in the war. The men who go to the country include Paul (Delroy Lindo), Otis (Clarke Peters), Eddie (Norm Lewis) and Melvin (Isiah Whitlock Jr.).

They journeyed to the country for two primary reasons. One is to return to the place where their friend and fellow soldier Norman (Chadwick Boseman) died to collect his remains and bring them back to the States. The other reason is to collect gold they found and buried there when they were soldiers. Joining them on this journey is Paul’s estranged son David (Jonathan Majors).

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